Purim
The celebration of Purim will begin this Wednesday as Jewish communities worldwide commemorate the historic rescue of the Hebrew people in Persia from destruction during the time of Esther. Although it is not a major holiday, it is one of the most entertaining festivities in the Jewish calendar. According to the Old Testament account written in the book carrying her name, a beautiful young Jewish woman living in Persia named Esther was taken to the harem of Ahasuerus, King of Persia, where she became his queen. While there she discovered a plot being developed by the king’s chief...
Read MoreHanukkah 2015
Jesus at the temple Now it was winter, and the Feast of Dedication was taking place at Jerusalem. And Jesus was walking in the temple in Solomon’s porch. Then the Jews encircled Him and said to Him, “How long are You going to hold us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” (John 10.22-24) Calendar: Hanukkah 2015 will be celebrated from December 6 through December 14. Click here to find out more about Hanukkah and how it is celebrated. Then get out your menorah and dreidel, light the candles day by day, prepare some latkes, and join in the fun!...
Read MorePesach/Passover 2015
The festival of Passover, or Pesach, will begin on Friday as Jewish communities worldwide commemorate the liberation of the Israelites from slavery, in one of the important festivities in the Jewish calendar. According to the Book of Exodus in the Torah, Moses called for the Pharaoh to free the Israelites, warning that if he failed to do so, Egypt would be struck by terrible plagues – the last one of which would be the death of every Egyptian first-born male. The Pharaoh refused to do so, despite the onslaught of plagues of frogs, flies, the death of livestock and total darkness. To avoid...
Read MorePurim, the PM, and the President
Twenty-five hundred years ago Queen Esther violated protocol and appealed to the king to intervene against a threat to annihilate the Jewish people. This week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu violated protocol and appealed to the United States Congress to intervene against a threat to annihilate the Jewish people. In both cases, the enemy threatening the people of Israel was Persia (today, Iran). In the days of Esther, the deliverance of the Jewish people led to the institution of the holiday known as Purim. Today, just one day after Netanyahu’s speech, it is Purim again. Truth...
Read MoreHappy Hanukkah!
A common understanding of the December holiday season is that Christmas is the holiday for Christians and Hanukkah is the holiday for Jews. Few Christians relate to Hanukkah since it is not one of the biblical feasts of Israel. But, the fact that Jesus celebrated Hanukkah should make Christians curious enough to investigate the possible importance of the festival to their faith. It is no exaggeration to say that had it not been for Hanukkah, there could have very well not been a Christmas. Hanukkah prepared the way for the birth and ministry of Jesus. Therefore, Christians may want to not...
Read MoreSukkot
The High Holidays or “Days of Awe” and Rosh Hashanah have just concluded this weekend with the solemn fast and deep contemplations of Yom Kippur, and we are about to embark this week (click here for a calendar and brief explanation of this fall’s events) on one of our faith’s most lasting celebrations, Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles. Every biblical holiday given to the Jewish people has these three aspects: Israel was commanded to observe the holiday in the present in order to remember something God had done in the past, and because of some future prophetic purpose hidden within each...
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